Favorites of 2013

Hi everyone!

So, first off: a huge apology is due for the weeks and weeks (months, to be completely honest) that we've neglected this blog and haven't uploaded a single post - absolutely shameful! The Christmas holidays have finally arrived though, and we now have a little time off from work and university and revision and exams to concentrate a bit more on our darling blog.  To make our comeback at least a little interesting we decided to put together a little list of our favorites products and pieces from the best of the world of fashion and beauty this past year. A lot of them are classics that have been around forever, and some are new discoveries, but here goes, our 'favorites of the year 2013'!

1- Grey-Camel Boyfriend Coatigan / Primark 

I'll start off with fashion, cos most of my favorites this year have been beauty-related so I'll get that out of the way. I only recently bought this coat at Primark, it was reduced down to 15€ which I think is such a bargain! Since most of my coats are black or khaki I was really looking for something grey or beige-y to add a little bit of a different touch to my all-black daily uniform of skinny jeans and jumper. I really love this, it's grown on me and become one of my absolutely favorite ones! I usually wear this with my trusty black Asos cut-out boots, some thick wooly socks peeping out, a colorful (tartan!) scarf and some skinny jeans or Zara leggings and the sleeves rolled up a little to show the sleeves of my jumper underneath, it's really become my standard outfit these last few weeks.

2 - Strappy Lace Bralette / Monki

This is another recent purchase, but I loved it so much as soon as I opened the parcel it came in that I simply had to put it into my favorites list. I've been shying away from bralettes/strappy bras because they usually don't go up to my brasize, but this one was so goddamn cute that I couldn't resist and took the risk, which I'm soooooo happy about because it fits like a charm despite my cup size. I'm super excited to wear this with camis, as the straps are so thin that they're really elegant. And the pattern, and the lace, everything about it is just drop dead gorgeous. Monki, you did it again! (ps: shoutout to the boyfriend for buying me this)

3 - Necklaces / Kukee 

One last fashion-y bit that I've really been loving recently and thus decided to include here are these two necklaces. I love the dainty little detail of the brass pendants and love how they look paired together. The little quartz stone on the shorter necklace is sweet too, and all together I'm really fond of these two. They're from a little online jewelry store called Kukee, which has been mentioned here many times as it always carries interesting, original designs and definitely caters to all kinds of tastes and styles! I was actually lucky enough to win this necklace when I participated in a twitter competition and got this and a few other goodies, but these two are definitely my favorites out of the lot. You can pick them up here.

4 -  Bufferbrush 182 + Concealerbrush 195 / MAC Cosmetics

Now to the beauty part of this! To start off with the base, I thought I'd include some of my favorite brushes. Neither of these are much talked about in the beauty world (especially not as much as the 217 and the 239 eyebrushes!) but I really adore these. Especially on a bad skin day, the concealer brush is amazing to dab on concealer in a very precise spot without too much rubbing off on the brush, and it really helps hide all the blemishes (you little bastards). The buffing brush is great too, though I tend to use it as an allover face powder brush on the go and just chuck it into my make-up bag because of its handy size.

5 - Essentials Kit & Face - Base Brushes / Real Techniques

I know, I know, the swooning over these brushes never stops and this has been said millions and trillions of times in the beauty world, but Samantha Chapman just really is a hero. It might get old after having seen them so many times, but I just can't exclude them from this list, cos these brushes are perfection. Despite owning a few more, I decided to only put the face brushes in there, cos those are the ones I use the most. The contour brush for contouring and highlighting (and sometimes for blending in under-eye concealer), the expert face brush for foundation, the buffing brush for pretty much any job since it's so versatile, the flat pointed foundation brush for concealer and brow bone highlighting, and the blush brush for any all-over-face powdering job, bronzing or blusher. The bristles are so soft that it genuinely makes applying make-up fun and exciting. I don't care how often this gets said: Sam Chapman, you're my goddess!

6 - Colorstay Foundation for Combination Skin / Revlon

 

Being the youtube addict that I am, one of the earliest make-up artists whose tutorials and recommendations I followed was Lisa Eldridge. Not only does she have the most beautiful face and elegant, soothing voice, she also just reaaaally knows what she's talking about. Having quite an oily t-zone, I was on the hunt for a good foundation that would keep its promises of lasting forever, suit my complexion and pretty much not budge from my face until my Bioderma cottonpads wipe it off at night. In her 'foundation' series, Lisa Eldridge recommended this for my skin type, and after having seen this on quite a few more blogs, I went ahead and bought it and have not regretted it for a minute. I might have gotten a shade lighter than I wanted (I have it in '150 Buff'), but it's winter time so I'm pale as fuck anyway. This is lovely, blends nicely, sits comfortably and doesn't feel cakey or chalky. All in all I think this is the best foundation up to date and can definitely keep up with its high end competitors. All thumbs up for my foundation of the year!

7 - Stay Matte Finishing Powder & Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner / Rimmel

I've been using the Stay Matte powder forever, and to be honest I don't think any other powder can compete with this. I've used Mac powders, Shiseido powders and many other high end ones, and at the end of the day, I just like this the best every single time. It doesn't sit on the skin uncomfortably and it just does the job nicely. I wear the shade ' 00 transparent' or '03 peach glow' in this. Long story short: this works amazingly and it's really affordable, so it deserves its place in the top picks of 2013. Only negative: I really hate the packaging, it looks pretty cheap and the lid can sometimes come off.
As for the nude eyeliner, this is another one of my absolute must have daily make up items. I wear it in my bottom waterline every single day, to brighten tired eyes and just generally make them look more awake and pretty. It's from the Scandaleyes collection, so it's waterproof, and I think I own 3 of these cos I'm so worried I'll run out. Rimmel: I love you.

8 - Eyeshadow in 'Cranberry' / MAC Cosmetics

To be honest, I picked this eyeshadow in the shade 'Cranberry' (frost finish) because it suits the autumn/winter season, but there's a dozen other MAC eyeshadows that I would have wanted to add in here, so this will have to represent them all. I've been buying eyeshadows there for nearly 10 years, and I don't really care about any other brand, because these are just the best. No one makes colors like MAC! I love this particular one because of its frost finish and the luminous glow it leaves on your lid, it creates the most gorgeous smokey eye looks but also looks great simply lightly dabbed onto the lid or used to line the bottom lash line for a grunge-influenced look. Some of my other favorites are 'Ricepaper', 'Patina', 'Brulé', 'Charcoal', 'Sumptuous Olive', 'Twinks', 'Trax' and 'Expensive Pink'.

9 - Eyeshadow Mini Palette / Estée Lauder

This little palette is pretty close to perfection in my opinion. I've had Estée Lauder's "truffle" quad (and mentioned it in a post here last summer) for a while, but my brown and champagne shades were nearly empty after many many wears, so I was chuffed when I got this. I'm not quite sure whether this palette is actually in shops, because this is a pr sample (the eyeshadows are full size though). It features four matte shades (a plum-y brown, a chocolate brown, a champagne-y cream color and a light pink), as well as five shimmery shades (an olive green, a sparkly cream, and different shades of shimmery pinks and browns). All the shades make a nice little palette for a nude eye, or you can build it up to create beautiful smokey eye looks, and with nine shades in a small palette this is amazing for traveling, too.

10 - Vampy Lip Pencils / Lord & Berry, Gosh, IQ Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics

As I've mentioned many times I'm before, I'm a matte lips kinda gal. I'm yet to find a lipstick that really meets my expectations for a matte lip, soI tend to just wear lip pencils as an all over lip color instead. Because of the fall/winter season, I have been loving a really dark, vampy red or purply lip with a nude eye (only mascara). My most recent acquisition is the lip pencil selection of Lord & Berry, that came in four gorgeous shades: two nude-y pinky tones ('Blossom' and 'Blush') and two reds, a bright, slightly brick-red-y vibrant color ('Sienna') and a very dark, burgundy red (my favorite, 'Black Red'). The pigmentation is amazing, and they really do apply completely matte. They are very drying though, so I recommend doing a lip scrub and moisturizing very carefully before you rock these darker colors to avoid chapped lips and flaky patches. The 'Black Cherry' lip pencil by Gosh has an even better lasting power. Make out sessions with the boyfriend, meals, nights out: it's stood by me through it all, incredibly! Head over to Asos if you want to snag up these gorgeous pencils here.

11 - Cleansing Cream & Lip Treatment / Kanebo Sensai

The Sensai line of Kanebo Cosmetics International is actually an anti-ageing line, but I got a few samples of these products so I fell in love despite the fact that I'm not yet battling the wrinkles. The Silky Purifying Cleansing Cream is one of my bedtime routine staples, it's smoothing and makes the skin feel so soft and clean. The Cellular Performance Total Lip Treatment is really my favorite here though: it's like some sort of insane amazing magical lip thing that makes your lips feel like silk overnight. Both these products are super pricey, so check if you can get some samples! For saving my chapped lips from the grips of the cold winter, these deserve to be in my top picks.

12 - Detangling Hairbrush / Tangle Teezer by Shaun P.

This is yet another much-raved-about product in the beauty world, but once again I didn't wanna pass the opportunity to say that all the praise is deserved. Cos of my ombre hair (and because it's reaaaaally long) I have slightly dry and brittle ends, and this detangles them gently and without pulling or breaking my hair. The bright neon color is perfect so I always know where it is when it gets lost in the depths of my handbag, and to be quite honest I never want to have to use another hair brush again; full marks to you, Tangle Teezer.


13 - Short Stories Collection "The Dubliners" / James Joyce 

It might seem a little random to add a book in my favorites when this blog is 99% of the time dedicated to beauty and fashion related things, but I didn't feel like this list would be quite right for me if I didn't add a little bit of it anyway. I picked Joyce's 'Dubliners' (a naturalistic/realistic short story collection about Irish middle class life) because it's one of the books I am currently reading and loving, but truly it could have been a ton of other books I discovered and fell in love with this year. I just felt like adding it to make my favorites list complete!


So, that's pretty much it for my Favorites of 2013 list. Forgive me for the random bits and bobs, the awful picture quality (the lighting in my flat is abysmal) and the repetitive posts about products that have already been much raved about, but I just can't really deny that these have just been my most fave products and items of the year. I hope you enjoyed the (long, oops, sorry!) read. Kym's favorites post is coming up real soon, too. In the meanwhile: which have been your holy grail products that have taken your heart by storm this year? I'd be really interested to hear about them.
I wish you all the merriest of Christmas and a really happy holiday season!!!

Life Update 2.0

Hi guys!
Just a little heads up and to let you guys know I am currently in between two apartments, dismantling and rebuilding furniture, packing suitcases full of books, driving back and forth to Ikea, stacking shoes in boxes, disassembling shelves of Make up products, and of course packing boxes and boxes full of clothes! AH, so much work to do and still to be done! 

Aside from the move I'm also running back and forth between my university campus and my work place, so please bear with me in this busy time and get excited for lots of Christmas-themed DIY's, cosy and warm OOTD posts, and little christmas-y hauls and cute party season outfits coming up soon. You might even get a little sneak and peak of my new flat! From what I know (we've been so busy, we haven't seen each other in a month! Sad times for bffs), Kym is currently tackling her immense maths course work for uni. The only times we've gotten to 'spend together' lately is when we've been internet shopping together late at night, ha ha! I'm super excited though cos as the great friend that she is she's offered to come help me with the flat in the next few days. Fingers crossed, I am hoping to be done with moving by sunday night!
Either way, I just wanted to let you all know we're still very much alive, just busy little bees at the moment. We'll definitely be back shortly with lots of great posts. 'Til then, we hope you're having a great time, and as a consolation prize, here's a little collage of what's been on our Instagrams lately:

Bodyshop clay mask - fave movie of the year - overflowing closet #1 - typical instaselfie - make up bag of the day - messy fishtail braid - obligatory lift selfie - heavenly gifts from the US - Chanel, what color today? - grey's anatomy & coffee - stocking up on life necessities - new Asos chunky knit turban selfie - 90's vibe for fancy dress party - lipstick galore - primark or 'oops I did it again' - good night beautiful sun/ hello winter.

Kitty cat ring - flowy rose top - finally candle season! - cutest cupcake ever - healthy breakfast every morning - silly texting - tasty chocolate peanut treats - disco leggings and cute flats - beautiful Vienna town hall at night - 21st birthday cake - new chairs! - Austrian parliament & breast cancer awareness - gorgeous sunny view - maths maths maths dominate my life - cosy scarf - german google poetry.

 

                                                           

B's Wishlist #6

Wowee, it's been 3 weeks since we last updated, that's horrible I'm sorry! 

Life's been really busy lately. I've returned to Austria to go back to uni, but in the meanwhile I've also gotten a job as a part time teacher, plus I've found a flat into which I will be moving in a couple of weeks, so please bear with me during this busy time and forgive the occasional dry spell of articles.
I know the wishlists are normally a saturday thing, but better late than never, right :)
Summer's most definitely gone entirely now, the skies are dull and it's windy. I love it! Without further ado, here my wishlist for the first half of october:

   

    Mom Jeans | Cropped Top | Houndstooth Socks | Knitted Jumper | Rose Gold Watch 1 | Rose Gold         Watch 2 | Fairy Lights | Blotting Paper | Necklace | Eyeliner Set | Spot Treatment | Charcoal Mask

I know this was a really big trend in summer especially, but I still can't let go of the boyfriend meets mom jean trend. I recently had a cheeky look on the Nastygal website, and have had a 500€ wish list saved on there ever since. These gorgeous jeans are topping the list. I love the ripped knee detailing, the mid-waist, slightly oversized legs, turned up cuffs and gorgeous wash. While they look best with heeled sandals, I'm sure I could make these badboys work with some cute cut out boots and a jumper.
Next on the list, as usual, something from Monki! A standard piece to have, but as you know I can't get enough of crop tops. I'm really into muted shades, black, burgundy, grey, so this is perfect. Want!
Sadly it's starting to get so cold that I need to wear socks with my cut-out boots, but I suppose that gives me the perfect excuse to order these per-fect houndstooth pattern socks by Monki, which are bang on trend.
I only recently discovered the site Choies, but I'm already in love. My top pic from their website is this beautiful cropped, oversized knitted jumper. So cosy!
I've been eyeing this Marc by Marc Jacobs rose gold watch for an eternity and it's still on my wishlist, but I just found this ASOS similar version which is about 300€ cheaper, so I'm gonna have to opt for that in the meanwhile.
As I mentioned above, I am moving into a new flat soon, which is super exciting and is making me a little interior-decoration-crazy. I NEED to get myself some fairy lights, especially with winter coming up, to  make my new home warm and cosy. You can get gorgeous ones from the Urban Outfitters home section.
One of my staples in my make up bag is a pack of good blotting papers so I don't need to re-apply powder during the day. I caved and bought these beautiful special edition ones by Paul & Joe. The packaging was just too darling not to get them, right?
With my love of muted colors has come a love of extremely simple, classic jewelry. This statement collar necklace with a big onyx stone and silver detailing is literally my idea of perfection.
I recently realized that my collection of eye liners is a bit of a sad excuse, and that I really need to get a few more. This little set by Pixi is genuinely everything you need for autumn: a good creamy black, a highlighting pearl-y color, and a deep plum, olive and brown tone.
Last but not least, two skin care products which I just need to get to combat by occasional stress breakouts: the Origins Spot Remover Treatment Gel, as well as their Charcoal Mask.

Anything you've been dying to have for winter? Let us know x

Life Lately + Evening Routine

Hi again!

While I do love talking about fashion and beauty, I thought I would say a word or two about what's going on in my life at the moment before I move on to a little beauty bit. Not much, in reality, but I like knowing things about other bloggers lives, so I thought I'd do the same on this blog, too!
While I am currently still savoring the last days of (rainy) holidays in the Netherlands in my boyfriends' parents house, I am returning to Vienna to take up my studies (English and French Literature) again next week. Classes don't start til october, but this way I have a little time to look for a part-time job.
Partly, that makes me really excited (I get to see my bezzie Kym again who I haven't seen in 3 months!), but it also makes me sad as hell because it means that, for the time being, Brandon (the bf) and me return to our previous 'long distance' stage. That's only momentary though, as he is planning to move to Vienna for a few months at the end of november. That's all the major updates so far!

On a side note, in my introductory post I didn't mention that you can follow me on different social networking sites, so I thought I would include them here:

Tumblr:

Art, literature and personal blog: bianne-k.tumblr.com  

Fashion and wishlist blog: moodywoman.tumblr.com
Twitter:

@lastfl0wers
Instagram:
/lastfl0wers
Pinterest: 

/lastfl0wers
Polyvore:

 /lastfl0wers

On the body front, I'm still dieting (haha, when am I not?). I've had a few ups and downs during the summer (very hard to keep my weight steady when I was on holiday in Finland), but I'm back on track and have shed a few pounds again. I'm still hoping to lose 20 pounds before the end of the year, which should be doable, since I tend to be a lot more strict and consequent with my diet when I'm at uni and don't go out as much (damn you, booze!). As for my skin, that I've steadily been trying to improve lately, I think I've found a decent beauty routine that has really helped make it clearer and smoother. And since I promised, I'll include my evening skin-care / beauty routine essentials of the moment!

To start off, I brew myself a cup of tea, so that when I'm done with my evening routine I can cuddle up in bed and have a cuppa. My favorite for the evening is unsweetened green jasmine flower infused tea, which is really healthy, full of antioxidants that will keep your skin glowy and radiant. Mmmmh.
Then I wash my hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap to keep them safe and clean.
To take off my make-up, especially the heavier eye make-up, I use cleansing towels, like these by Simple. Once the thicker top layer of make-up is removed, I use an (organic or fairtrade) xl cotton pad and put a little bit of my Bioderma Eau Micellaire facial cleansing water (that my darling friend Emily brought me back from her recent trip to Paris) on it to get the last bits of make-up off and refresh my skin. Then I rinse my face with warm water, squeeze a little of the Garnier Pure Active Exfo-Brusher Wash onto my hands and rub it into my skin with a manual face complexion brush (I prefer to use that than the plastic bristle brush that you get with the wash). The circular motions of the brush help the product to penetrate my skin and deep cleanse, but it also helps my circulation and gives me a more radiant complexion. Rinse with cold water to close the pores. If I'm having a break-out, I will apply a thin layer of the Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask to further cleanse my skin, or the Neutrogena On-The-Spot Acne Treatment, which I dab on the spot or problem zone carefully. Even though I have combination-oily skin, there's still areas of my skin that get quite dry, so I use the tiniest amount of the Olay Firming Night Cream and rub it into my skin carefully. Finally, once I'm tucked into bed after brushing my teeth, I dab a little Carmex Lip Treatment onto my lips and then massage some of the Body Shop Hand and Nail Almond Cream into my hands for really smooth skin.
That might seem like a lot of steps, but I like to be very thorough, and only use small amounts of all products so that my skin doesn't get irritated. This routine seems to work quite well for me, as I can tell my pores have diminished in size and I've had less break-outs.... I'm sure my routine will change over the next few months, with the arrival of winter, but for now it works brilliantly!

Any products that you have been loving these days? Any major life events? I would love to know a little more about our readers, so do comment below!

B's Wishlist #5

So, this wishlist business is definitely starting to become a (both pricey and really enjoyable) habit on this blog! Sadly (or luckily for her) Kym is still on her American road trip adventure, so this week there might only be one wishlist, unless she manages to have a little quick one at a Starbucks somewhere! Anyway, without further ado, here my bi-monthly wishlist for the next couple of weeks:

Make Up Bag | Knitted Turban | High Waisted Jeans | Pore Minimizer | Camo Beanie |

 Eyebrow Pencil | Concealer Wand | Solid Perfume Stick | Liquid Foundation 

As I think I mentioned, Kym is so kind as to bring me quite a couple of make-up bits from the US, since they're much cheaper there than in most places in Europe. I'm deeeeead excited, so to honor my new little beauties, I'd love to get this Ted Baker Make Up bag - I have tons of other ones, but this gorgeous snake-skin one is just too good. It's on sale right now, too, and I've been wanting a Ted Baker one forever to replace my much less exciting H&M ones.
I mentioned in my last wishlist that I was seriously in love with knitted headband/turbans, and that hasn't changed. This one in black, white and orange looks classy but the pop of color makes it really stand out, which is great for accessorizing an outfit. So sad about the 70€ price tag!
Another thing I mentioned last time is the amount of jeans I have, so this really shouldn't feature on my wishlist. I have skinny jeans, I have acid washed jeans, I have blue jeans, and yet I still really want these. They're from Boohoo so they're definitely affordable, and anyone who knows me knows I just live in high waisted denim all year round.
Despite being a very regular and long time Body Shop customer, I have only very recently started to look beyond their body butters, shower gels and fruity lip balms. Lately I've gotten really interested in their skin care, particularly face care. Their face masks (especially Tea Tree and Dead Sea) are brilliant, so I've decided to pop in sometime in the next days to buy their Pore Minimizer with tea tree extract. I have slightly enlarged pores on my t-zone and would love it if this product worked, but I trust the Body Shop and look forward to using this.
Did I mention that summer is over, it has been raining non-stop and autumn has definitely arrived? I do miss summer already, but I'm beyond excited to get to wear hats, beanies, scarves, gloves, etc. This cute camo beanie by Monki matches my recent camo crop-top purchase... from Monki, too ;)
Even though I'm really quite happy with how my Catrice Cosmetics eyebrow pencil works, I am still keen to try out new eyebrow products to find out what works best for me and gives the most natural look. As I wrote in a previous article, I'm a big fan of thick, defined and quite dark eyebrows, so the quality of the pencil is essential. I've heard a lot of good about the Inglot pencils, so that might just be my next brow product purchase!
The next one is a product that Kym might bring me back from the US, if she finds it: the reviews on the NYX website are great, and I'm always on the look for a good concealer, so this might be worth a try.
While I do have my own favorite scents, I've been looking for a small, travel-friendly alternative perfume to easily carry around with me. I'm not usually that big a fan of Lush products because I tend to find the soapy smell a little overwhelming, but these small solid perfume sticks - perfect size to toss into your handbag - seem like a great, affordable idea to me. This scent, Karma, is described as "a powerful, spicy and unique patchouli and citrus perfume" which sounds pretty nice, especially for autumn.
Last but not least: the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. The only reason I don't own this already is that NARS products are really pretty expensive, especially face products. But this has been raved about so much in the beauty world that I just can't resist it much longer and am starting to save up for it. 

Designer Love of the Moment

Hi everyone, 

Sorry for the fairly long post-break, I've been busy savoring the last few days of holidays with my boyfriend before heading back to university.... The sadness of long distance relationships!!

And as you all know, Kym is still driving around in the US and shopping til she drops, haha!

Anyhow, today I thought I'd write a little about a designer brand that I love, which I thought might be interesting, as I tend to talk mostly about fairly cheap and affordable brands and not so much runway fashion. I'm sure you've heard of it: KENZO Paris, a luxury designer label that was founded in Paris by the japanese designer Kenzo Takada in 1970. Having been a little forgotten in past years, Kenzo made a huge comeback this season with an incredibly trendy new collection that has inspired many brands to copy them (I'm looking at you, H&M, stealing all the prints!!)
I have spent houuuurs looking at their gorgeous designs. The collection consists mostly of fairly abstract prints: Salvador Dalí inspired tiger prints, big, bold, black eye prints, dreamy cloud prints and bold letterings of the brand. I'm especially taken with their jumpers. One of them, the green Kenzo Tiger jumper, has become all the rage among fashionistas in past months, and I really understand why!
The color adds a statement to any outfit, the slightly street wear inspired design screams individuality and glams up any outfit, and the KENZO logo print insinuates luxury. I want one soooo bad, but at approx. 300€, these babies are just waaay out of my budget. You can check ebay, however, a few fairly good dupes are on sale up there for about 30 to 50 euros. Definitely worth it.

If you'd rather go for something less iconic than the green Kenzo jumper, there's plenty more gorgeous pieces in the collection. More printed jumpers, embossed boots, embroidered bags, shiny skirts, funky parkas, beautiful scarves. I am genuinely really in love with all of them. The only problem, once again, is the more than hefty price tag. At 300 to 600€ per item, all of these gorgeous garms at far out of my reach. For now, at least. In the meanwhile, I will continue swooning over the brilliant cloud-printed jumper in soft colors, the knitted logo jumper, and especially the tiger embossed leather booties.

If like me, you are really impatient to get your hands on similar items, there is plenty of fashion houses that have been, if not completely ripping off, then at least inspired by the Kenzo prints. Check out some of the items H&M has recently released, such as their all over eye-print leggings, the eye-print skirt, their dupe of the green tiger jumper (which I have to admit I own), or some of their eye-print tops. Seen this before, anyone?
While I do think it's shameless (and actually surprised that it's legal?), I am still grateful that I can buy similar prints for a tiny fraction of the price. Kenzo, make a cheaper line for poor girls like me!!

Any luxury labels that you are in love with? I'm thinking of making my "Designer Love of the Moment"- and where to find dupes, a kind of monthly article. Interested? Comment below!

B's Favorite A/W'13 Trends

Evening everyone!

First off, considering our pageviews are steadily increasing, I wanted to thank all those who have taken the time to visit our blog. It means a great deal, even if our audience is minuscule at the moment. If you do read and enjoy our blog, it would be amazing if you could follow, share, comment, etc.!
Now to the order of the day: my Autumn and Winter 2013/2014 trend predictions and favorites.
I apologize in advance for this post that is going to be lengthy, but there is a lot going on in the fashion and beauty world for the next few months, and I really wanted to take the time to make a little list of what I think is going to be really big these next few months! I mixed both fashion and beauty, to have a little overview of what this coming season is going to have in stock for us. 

Check Mate - Tartan, Houndstooth and other Patterns

Admittedly, I've always hated houndstooth - probably because until recently, I hadn't found any clothes where the pattern looked edgy and modern. Now, I'm crazy about it. Along with the traditional scottish tartan, it brings a great punk edge to any outfit and helps pick up a dull winter outfit. Absolute must-have this season!

Warm and Cosy - Fur Collars and Knit

Knits and fur for Winter? It might seem like an obvious choice, but I still wanted to stress this, because they're going to be important key-pieces this season. Wear your knits oversized for autumn and winter, with thick, crocheted beanies, super long and oversized scarves, and cosy (faux!!) fur or shearling collars to throw over any jacket as an alternative for scarves (instant glamour - and warmth!! - guaranteed). 

Blue for You - All over Denim

This has been an ongoing trend during the last few seasons, too, but this winter, the all-over denim look continues, with gorgeous skirts, ripped mom-jeans, oversized denim jackets (especially cute with corduroy detailing on the collar or sleeves), denim vests for layering and other accessories. Denim looks amazing paired with pretty much anything, so layer this look with tartan and a chunky knitted beanie, for example.

Punk Kicks - Chunky Shoes and Boots

This last year, cut-out boots took over our shoe shelves (and hearts) completely. This upcoming season, they'll be getting chunkier, with thick soles and heels. Creepers, platform boots, Doc Martens and any boot with a punk vibe is an absolute must-have for this winter. Wear with knee-high socks and a black pleated skirt, for a touch of punk and schoolgirl chic. So cute, and so bad-ass, too!

Pile on the Bling - Layering necklaces

Absolutely self-explanatory: chunky chain necklaces will continue to be a big trend, but try layering two or more of them on top of each other for an even bolder look. Metal mixes are very in, too, so don't be afraid to wear silver, gold, bronze, rosé gold and anything else all at once.

Material Girl - Mixing up Textures

Layering is one of these trends that have been around forever and that's probably going to stay this way. This autumn, you can get a little experimental with it and layer different textures and materials (don't go too crazy on the colors, though) for an edgy look. Metallic, snake-skin, fur, boucle, suede, sleek leather, chiffon, silk, denim... Mix it all up! My favorites: PU sleeved jackets and furry jumpers with leather leggings. 

Oversize Love  - Outsized Dresses and Coats

This trend is right up my alley, as it is very minimal. The clean-cut, oversized dresses look amazing paired with a few layers of chunky necklaces, and also make a great autumn and winter wardrobe essential piece, as they look especially great when they are knitted or wooly dresses. After sporting cute and lightweight boyfriend blazers last spring, it's now boxy, oversized boyfriend coats that take over for the winter. I think they look loveliest when paired with a contrasting furry collar. Topshop has especially nice ones!

Goodbye Glossy - Matte Lips

I believe the bold colored lips trend from this summer will continue into the autumn/winter season, but the colors will become slightly darker: corals are going to get replaced with nudes, light pinks replaced with darker, richer reds, and purple shades are going to be really big, too! My favorite way to wear lip color for the upcoming season is very bold and very matte. I'm eagerly awaiting to try out the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams that Kym is bringing back from the US for me! Alternatively, you can use any lipstick and dab powder on your lips to mattify them, or you can have a look at these brands above that all have great matte effect lipsticks!

Autumn Radiance - Glowy and Fresh Skin

Recently, I've been discovering a ton of new ways to improve my skin, which makes me really happy as it's just in time for a new make-up season. I think a big trend for this coming autumn is glowy, radiant skin with rosy cheeks for a healthy complexion. Here a few of the best products to get the look!

Hello Brow - Thick and Defined Eyebrows

The last trend (which again has been ongoing for a while) which I believe is going to keep being big this season are strong, bold, defined brows. My favorite way to wear them is with a smooth and slightly dewy complexion, and either a smokey eye or a bold lip and really strong eyebrows. Here a few of the must-haves for well groomed eyebrows!

So that's it, these are the few trends that I think will be (or keep being) important in the fashion and beauty world in the next few months. Many of them have been ongoing trends, but redefined, and some of them I have just recently discovered and fallen in love with. All in all, I must say I am beyond excited to finally start the autumn season, as it's my favorite (especially the clothes). 

Any trends that you're excited to wear? Any ideas you wanted to share?

My next post will probably be a "Get ready with me" morning routine or "Good night" evening routine for skin care and make-up. Any preferences? Let me know in the comments below.
I'm also REALLY excited for Kym to come back from the US, as I haven't seen her in months. We'll make sure to post a joint article then (and we'll both be uploading US hauls!) Til then, love,

(all items via polyvore. You can get many of those by either typing keywords into polyvore, or just checking the Monki and the ASOS shop, as that's where I found most of those clothes!)

B's Monki Haul

As promised, a little quick picture haul of a few of the items I picked up from Monki (and other random stores) during my week of holidaying in gorgeous Finland. I keep going on about them, but they truly are my very favorite brand, ever. Wish they did free shipping to Europe on their website, argh! Probably going to head to Utrecht or Amsterdam or Rotterdam one of these days to pick up a few more things, I am just too crazy about them not to.
One thing which I've mentioned before but will mention again as it's quite important, though: their sizing runs a little different than for most other stores, I find. I think it's great, as I actually think it's a lot more accurate and representative of real life, but basically their size XS is about a UK size 8, their size S is about a UK 10-12, their size M is roughly a UK 14-16, and their size L is more like an 18, so be careful not to buy anything too big! I, who sometimes struggle to find something that fits nicely in other stores because they run quite small (Forever 21 runs pretty tiny in my opinion), buy most of my Monki clothes in a size M (or wow, even the odd piece in S) and only get the L sizes when I deliberately want the item to be extra long, or extra slouchy. They also use average or 'normal' size models a lot of the time, which is really refreshing and is part of why I rate this brand so highly. Anyway, here goes: 

"Tough Love" print jumper, 30€ via Monki (love this, as it's very similar to the muuuch more expensive jumpers with prints and slogans by Wildfox Couture. This is such a steal if you compare the prices!) And I could really use a bit of a pop of such a bold color in my wardrobe, as it's usually 99% black and the odd bit of blue or white. This is also 100% cotton, which is great quality for this price.

All over kitty-print canvas tote bag, 8€ via Monki. I am and always have been a cat lady so I genuinely just couldn't resist this. I'm also obsessed with totes, so it's pretty much perfect for me. They're so cute!

Grey acid wash 3/4 length sleeve tshirt, 15€ via Monki. I love everything and anything acid wash, and grey is such a nice transition color to wear in late summer all the way to winter. So gorgeous tucked into some jeans with some cut-out boots and a piece of statement jewelry. Love the high neckline, too.

Did I mention I am genuinely obsessed with socks? Here's a few I picked up recently. The first ones are from a random store, but the chain and the pattern ones are from Monki, too, for just 3€ each!! 

Black and white patterned vest, 15€, via Monki. I love all things monochrome and rarely wear color, so this crazy patterns is a great way to include a bit of pop into an otherwise boring outfit i.e. jeans. 

And here a few other random things I picked up while in Finland: Moomintroll postcards, glass and keychains, because I really love them! Finnish postcards from the Design District, as well as the goooorgeous Monki payment receipt (it's got cute little birds and adorable figures printed on the back!) as well as the gorgeous plastic bag that my clothes came in. Did I mention I loooove that shop?

And finally, the velvet-y biker jacket which I picked up from H&M on the main shopping street in Helsinki. I actually just went in to buy a boring pair of black basic tights, but saw this, then thought it would be waaay to expensive, but had to get it when I realized it was only 19,95€. Genuinely one of the best bargains recently. Lovely material, I really love the shoulder detailing, too. It's also a perfect transition piece to wear on chilly late summer nights all the way til autumn and even winter!

So yes, that's what I picked up, sorry for going on and on and on and on forever about Monki, I can't help myself, it's become a little of an unhealthy (for my wallet) obsession. I keep and keep and keep buying more of their stuff! The quality is just amazing, and the designs so fresh and new and gorgeous. You can find all of the above items on their online shop: http://www.monki.com/

B's Weekly Wishlist #4

Yay, it's wishlist time again. 

I thoroughly enjoy doing them, even though I usually don't end up buying more than half of what's on it because #moneyisshort. This week's wishlist is quite obviously influenced by the autumn/winter collections that are starting to show up in the shops. Which is frustrating, as the weather is still way too warm for any of it, but I am already fully in autumn clothes mood! I adore layering, cardigans, coats, scarves, fur collars, boots, and anything autumn-y.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Black Jeans | Blue Jeans | Bronzing Powder | Circle Scarf | Quilted Shoes | Hair Clips | 

Instant Tan | Lip Creme | Wake Me Up Foundation | Turban Headband | Lace Up Shoes

I don't know if I mentioned yet, but my forever absolute wardrobe staples are: skinny jeans, leggings/disco pants, crop tops in all shapes and patterns, jumpers and ankle boots. Winter through summer, that's what I love to wear. I am aaaalways searching for another perfect pair of jeans (though I have to say, the best cut jeans I have ever bought are the ASOS high waisted Ridley jeans, which I own in about 6 different color ways and washes because they just fit so fucking perfectly!). As you all know, I'm obsessed with Monki, and their prices for denim are excellent, so I'm really keen on buying these two pairs: lovely black ones with ripped knees, and these ones from their new super skinny stretchy line, which looks fab as well. Love this light wash.
Continuing in the Monki addiction: I'm planning on getting this gorgeous monochrome patterned snood, which just totally makes me long for winter already, as well as their super cute matching hair clips for high ponytails and a very trendy 90's vibe. I'm also seriously considering investing into their platform quilted lace up booties. So.Perfect. I don't even know how to describe my love for them.
Though these white doc martens style patent leather lace-ups are also calling.... I have an addiction to cute socks: printed, patterned, frilly, knee-high, thick knit, pop colors, lace, etc... I just adore them, so I need a new pair of shoes that can show them all off well, and these are perfect.
A fashion staple that I really want to wear during the coming autumn and winter season are knitted turban headbands, such as this one from H&M. It's also just a fiver, so a total bargain. Really rad!
What with all this winter talk, I do still have to admit that I don't want to let go of the summer warmth, the sun and the blue skies yet. Oh and: I don't want to lose my tan, I'm not ready to return to being pale... so I'm planning to pick up the Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder to help the glow a little, as well as the Rimmel Instant Tan to keep the tan just a little bit longer.
Even though I just picked up the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, I also really want the ever-so-raved-about Wake Me Up Foundation. I just haven't picked it up yet because I have had a few hormonal skin break-outs recently and have been told it's not so great for oily skin, so I'm just waiting for my skin to calm down again before I get this one for my make-up bag.
Lastly, as you all know, Kym is heading to the US this week-end, and one of the few things I asked her to bring me back are the NYX Soft Matte Lipcreams (ideal color Antwerp!), because you can't really get them in Europe. Hope she can find it!

Sorry for the long post again, and sorry to be posting winter clothes already, I am just really an autumn fanatic and find it hard to contain my excitement about the upcoming fashion season.
What's on your wish list this week?

B ♡ Finland

Hey guys!

As I mentioned a billion times (I got a bit carried away, I was just so excited) I went to Finland on a holiday last week. Me and my boyfriend and his parents went on a little city trip: we flew from Amsterdam to Helsinki, stayed there for two days in a little flat which we rented (it had a sauna, what an absolute dream luxury, I went like 3 times a day). Helsinki is genuinely one of the best cities I have ever visited, and I have seen quite a few! It's such a gorgeous mix between a scandinavian sea-side city, but it also has many eastern european, especially russian, architectural influences. I would describe it like the best possible mix between Copenhagen and Moscow! The design district is pretty incredible - sleek, practical, gorgeous designs to be bought at every street corner. It's also the birthplace of the Moomins, a childrens tv program I loved dearly. Instead of making a whole big photo heavy post, I decided to do little snap-shot collages:

After a few days in Helsinki, we took the ferry over to Tallinn, which is the capital of Estonia. Tallinn looks a lot more like some of my austrian neighbor places, such as the Czech Republic (especially Prague). The old town is gorgeous and quite medieval looking, but sadly it's floooooded with a bunch of (especially Australian actually!) tourists who come to get drunk on the very cheap alcohol. Great hotel though, with a Spa and sauna area once again. Definitely a wellness holiday for me! I really needed it, too - I recently took a break from my birth control (I try to do it every six months or so to give myself a little break from hormones) which has made me gain a few pounds and my skin break out, so I've felt a bit horrible during my holiday :( The sauna has helped a little though, and I'm back on track dieting and exercising with my old annoying pal Jillian Michaels.

After two nights in Tallinn, we got the ferry back to Helsinki, where we stayed at the most breaaaathtaking hotel: the Glo Art Hotel Helsinki which is sooooo modern, sooooo gorgeous, suuuuch great food, and it looks like this. The next day we hopped on a train and went to Turku, for our last two finnish nights. Turku is the old capital of Finland, further on the western coast. It's really cute, too, but it definitely doesn't come close to Helsinki. I also bought quite a few Moomintroll items, like a little printed glass, a key chain, plenty of post cards, a hair spray and tissues haha. Couldn't help myself, they are just the cuuuuuutest! Secretly wish I could have gone to Moominland hahaha.

Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of the trip was to get the chance to finally go into the Monki shops! Since they're a scandinavian brand, they're a bit hard to come by in central Europe, so I went a little nuts and shopped quite a bit. I bought a canvas tote bag, a printed tank top, an acid wash tee, a semi-transparent swing dress, some funky tights, two pairs of patterned socks, a red knitted light weight jumper in red with a slogan (very similar to the wildfox couture ones actually) and a crop top. Went a bit mad, as I said! I am currently shooting pictures of all the items to upload soon, to bear with me!